My Lovely Garden … Mon Joli Jardin

No matter the language, my garden is my paradise. To watch the lovely birds that nest in the trees and bushes. The bees, butterflies are such a joy to see.

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Despite the short summer, it’s been a delight in the garden, busy and happy times. Spending a lot of time looking at the skies!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

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August will only be with us for a few more days and I will miss this end of the summer.  Our summer was only two months long and it really was wonderful.  Once the summer heat began and the race was on to grow things in the garden.

I must admit that I hadn’t prepared my veggies for growing, depending on purchased plants.  The proverbial “next year” sounds good to me right now!  Well, next year, I will start in the spring to prepare the seedlings for planting.   And … next year .. I will prepare little plastic houses for the tender plants.

This year, though, I am quite happy with the results of my garden.  I definitely have one pumpkin and see a few others growing .. I still  have another month for them.

And my cucumber plant has one cucumber, slowing maturing.  It might be the only one. The basil plants are limping along.  The lettuce is producing daily.  Sweetpeas, late, but strong.  Flowering and producing seeds for next year.  Lovely plants.

My friend D has given me the most lovely planters … quite ornate, open metalwork, with coir linings.  I dug through the soil and found some lovely sparklies and a little yellow lizard amongst the soil .. treasures!

I’m going to dig up some kale and put them in these containers … so they will continue to grow .. and I can start shape-shifting the mulch pile where they grew all summer.

Blueberries are still fruiting .. I have some late bearing bushes.

I’ve also started decluttering my garden supplies .. and today gave away hundreds of plant pots and over a dozen propagating trays.   I had way too many .. how many do I really need!   And so it’s fun to share with fellow gardeners.

Tomorrow I plan to finish clearing out my garden work area .. to sort out what I need and what I can give away.  Feels great to do this.

I walked around my garden .. looking at the changes I made this year.   Feel amazed that I actually planted all the plants that I purchased in the past few weeks. . that is a record for me and feels like I’ve accomplished quite a lot … and I have!

Spent hours today digging up dandelions in the back yard.  Noticed that there were hardly any in the areas of lawn that were well watered and that there were so many in the drier patches.  Interesting.  I’ve put them all on a tarp, to dry in the sun and then I will add them to the compost bins.

The Italian prune plums are just dripping from the branches.  I’ve been picking quite a few.  Dehydrated some in the oven and quite a few were put on a pot to stew and then I’ll freeze some containers to use later as sauce for chicken or for a jam.

I’m quite enjoying this time of the year .. clearing up my garden areas.  Watching the birds.  I see the little Fox sparrow .. like a little sprite way up in the tree.

Yesterday and today I was treated to an aerial show of the Canada Geese as they flew overhead, en route to Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary for the night.  I wonder if these are the spring-born goslings, all grown up …. preparing for their winter flight.   They sound so strong and fly so well … my heart goes out to them.  Theirs is a tough life of survival.    I know that a lot of people don’t like Geese .. but none have harmed me.    I’m smart enough to turn around and walk the other way when I’m confronted with them.  Their beaks are very strong!

I watch little Youbou out in the yard, vigorously scratching away with his strong right leg.  Hard to imagine that last spring he couldn’t walk on that leg .. for reasons unknown, despite the many veterinarian tests.  Luckily acupuncture was able to help him.  He’s no longer on Prednisone and has his acupuncture visits about once a month or so, just to keep him aligned.

The skies have been so beautiful to watch that it’s a wonder I get anything done in the yard when I’m out there!   In the spring I gazed upwards to watch the eagles and now I watch for the Geese and the ever-changing panorama of beautiful shades of blue and white.  sigh.

And finally, on Monday, I spent the day preparing my garlic for the winter.   Set up my outside working tables and began the task of untying the bunches of garlic from beneath the sundeck, where they have been drying and curing for a month.  Noticed that quite a number of scapes escaped me!  How did that happen, anyway!  I was so sure that I’d clipped every scape to make pesto!

Just like last year, I was sure that I didn’t have enough, but when all were cleaned up and put in baskets, I realized I have more than enough.  Enough to cull the largest for planting next month.  Enough to send some to my sister back east.  Enough for us.   Enough to share.   So I’m happy about that.
And the hardnecks have these little yellow cloves, they look like kernels of corn.  I’ve read that these can be planted for spring greens.  And I’ve read that they also can be grown for several years to reach the size of a garlic bulb.

Speaking about enough .. I started thinking about all the work I’ve done over the past few years.  Gathering oak leaves from properties.    Filling bags, stuffing them in my car.  Taking them home, starting the dance of moving them from the car to the back yard and then mulching them.  Ordering bales and bales of spoiled hay .. wonderful for mulching in the yard.

What if I don’t feel like doing that this year?

Well, I’m not worried.   Because I have 3 compost bins.  Lots of lovely soil already in the yard.  And I really and truly depend on my EM to save the day!    As long as I continue to prepare my batches of EM .. I will always have the most fertile, rich garden!

Well, I’ve been enjoying the days this week .. working had and accomplishing a lot.  Feeling quite pleased with the progress of my garden.  And looking forward to making more changes.  And taking time to watch the birds … listening to the cheerful little nasal chirps from the Bushtits, Nuthatches, Chickadees, Fox and other sparrows.  And the energetic antics of the Anna’s.  And hoping to get a closer glimpse of the Geese as they soar overhead.

Another lovely day!


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Hopes and dreams abide in my garden ..

 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

 

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Sometimes it takes me awhile to get into that wonderful garden state .. the one where time stops, energy increases and I just keep moving things around .. but sometimes it’s just well worth the wait.

Yesterday was a day of going hither and thither and yon.  (are those really words?)

And finally, time to put on my garden costume and step forth into the yard.

With all my recent plant purchases, I’ve amassed quite a pile of plant pots.  These need to be completely sorted, put in bags and then I’ll list them in the local Free section of our Used Victoria and hopefully an ardent gardener will come by to claim them.

I used to save them all for future propagation, but realize that I was simply hoarding them.  My precious plant pots, ha ha ha.

So that’s on my to do list today.

I had moved about a yard of the Miracle Mulch (sometimes I just call this my Magic Mulch .. same thing!) onto a tarp in the back yard.  This was where I headed yesterday afternoon.  Soon I was mixing this with bagged manures and then shovelled this onto the other side yard.  And here I began placing the final lot of my recently purchased perennials.

Looks lovely, but no pictures yet.  I’d placed landscape ties against the edges of this area but finally decided that the neat and tidy edging didn’t fit with the natural flow of the plants, so moved them to the back yard.  Ah, yes, this was much better.  Now I feel the yard can breathe .. no structure here.

Noticed that the grass is now growing quite well around the paving stones that I carved into the yard .. soon it will be lovely and green in this area.

Visited my recently planted Tea Rose .. and see the leaves are burgeoning all over!  Hard to believe that when I’d seen this plant at the store last Thursday, it looked as if it was on the fast road to the compost heap.   The sales clerk had swiftly trimmed away the dead leaves and soon  I could see about 20 little areas of new growth.

Took it home  (after I paid for it, ha ha ha ), planted it and with a liberal dose of that magic elixir, EM .. it is now sporting a vast array of leaves and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it were to grow some lovely fragrant roses soon.

Itching to dig in the potato patch . .how many taters are left there for me to find?  Feels like a treasure hunt as I gently probe the garden fork around the base of the raspberry plants .. where the darned things have grown.

I stop for a while, looking at the rich, beautiful mulched soil that is now here ..  thankful that my hard work of gathering oak leaves, spoiled hay, compost, aged manure, spent hops .. all combined to create such a wonderful growing medium.

What a treat to finally see the red skin of the potatoes peeking out from the rich dark soil.  Sheer magic, I feel!  I gathered up the remaining  crop and put them in an old white enamel pot that had belong to my DH’s grandfather.  He used to garden a fair bit and I’ve been lucky enough to have some mementoes from his hobby.

I have two zucchini plants and a few are growing from these .. so I pluck one to take inside for cooking.

The pea plants are nearing the end of their cycle .. fun to see the peas growing in their pods, distorted and twisting with the energy of their growth.

Lots of tomatoes, but still in the green stage.  Strawberries are still flowering .. fingers crossed that these will grow into ripe red fruit.

Lots of dreams and hopes lie in my garden .. and time to go out there and play again for another day.

🙂

 

 


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Today is a planting day .. no more procrastination!

Monday, July 23, 2012

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Sunday was quite the day .. with the skies changing from overcast, cloudy …to bright and sparkling blue .. decorated with quite a beautiful changing series of amazing clouds.  So I spent some time just admiring the scenery and clicking away.

It was also a lazy day .. we are usually away on the weekends, but the weather wasn’t the best for flying .. so it was stay at home for us.  I don’t mind these types of weekends.  Lots of time to just not rush around .. time to slow down and enjoy.  So we did.

Outside, looking around the yard, amazed at the changes brought about by the addition of the EM to the garden.  Never have the fruit trees bore so much fruit.  I am so very very happy that I took the Organic Master Garden course (Gaia college) .. it totally changed my way of gardening forever.

And the “shifting of paradigms” as noted at the beginning of the course is so true .. my view of gardening has gone in a whole new direction.  I am aware now of the worlds beneath my feet .. the living beings that inhabit the soil and transform it into a healthy growing medium for plants.  Healthy soil = healthy plants.  And as I gaze around my yard I see the proof.

More about that on a later date.  Today I just want to share the joy that I feel as I walk around my garden.

I’ve made enquiries about where to have the bountiful crop of apples transformed into lovely apple cider .. no rush, they won’t be ready for a few months yet .. but I want to be ready!  Last year I’d made jams, baked pies .. but want to try my hand at the cider.   Having not done this before and how fun to sip on cider from the trees.

I’d found sites on making cherry wine from frozen … so might try that … however, I’ve gotten into the habit of using the frozen cherries (from our tree) as ice cubes in summer drinks.   And they taste delicious at the bottom of the glass, plus, vitamin C!

The squash, cucumber and zucchini plants are starting to grow tendrils so I’m trying to find things to use for guides .. tree branches, that sort of thing.

My lovely garlic crop is drying beneath the sundeck.  I spent some time hanging groups of them from nails along the boards …. planning which ones I will save for the fall crop.

Looked at the veggie bed .. planning more garlic rows .. for more garlic.  This time I’ll give the cloves a bit more space for them to grow.  I’d tried growing some in containers, resulted in smaller cloves .. so won’t do that again.

Heavy crop of raspberries and blueberries.  Really enjoy just going outside everyday and picking a basket of them for us.   Memories of days spent on a relative’s farm … hot sunny days, fun times.

The plum trees are fully laden.  We have three types:  Italian (large plump fruits); tiny purple (don’t know the type) and another type of medium purple (again, don’t know type) .. they are all good .. and so I might have these made into something like wine or whatever .. depends on how much fruit makes it to the end of the season.  Plus, this year I’ll spread out tarps to collect the dropping fruit .. easier to clean up.  To avoid the end of the season hornet attacks .. I’ve been picking up all fallen fruit daily and over to the compost they go.

Admiring the green lush growth of the grass .. where the seaweed has dripped … not that I’m into lawn, but, I like to maintain what we have.   Notice that there are fewer dandelions growing throughout ..a sign that the lawn has been receiving nutrients required, the extra vitamin C is no longer required, there is sufficient now, it seems.

There are still perennials to be planted .. I’ve arranged them in the approximate areas where I’d like them to grow … and so today I think .. is the day to do this!

Beautiful sunny day and now I’m on my way.

A – planting – I – will – go!  Goodby – procrastination!  Hello – happy plants in their new places!

🙂


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If I hadn’t gone shopping for a cherry pitter, I would have missed the most luxurious vehicle I have ever seen in my life!

Friday, July 13, 2012

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Friday .. the 13th .. is such a lucky day for me!

After the surprise hailstorm of very early morning, the day developed into a lovely sunshiny day!

I tended the gardens at Dakota, ruthlessly clipping away at vegetation .. then a lovely soak with water and a generous application of EM!  I look forward to next week to see the difference.

Finally, I’ve been applying EM to our yard .. and about time!   Everything is growing so well.   The seaweed adds a lovely perfume to the yard … a delicate ocean scent.  And the amazing minerals are feeding the garden.

Picked more raspberries, blueberries and a few tiny red currants.   Then, a few hours picking the cherries … the ripest are beyond my reach, even with a ladder .. so the birds will continue their feasting for a while.

Finally splurged on buying a cherry pitter.   Since I long ago give away the one I had .. because I didn’t need it.  sigh.  So I’ll keep this one.  A few nights ago I spent hours at the kitchen sink, busily cutting open the cherries in preparation for dehydrating in the oven.  Let me tell you, the cherry juice was all over the counter and a bit of a mess.  So I splurged tonight.

So very happy to see the Downy Woodpecker back in the yard!    I missed you .. I whispered .. welcome back.

The Chickadees love the fat that I placed in the feeders …. trying to keep the sparrows away, they are drawn like magnets when I place the suet block there .. so I’m taking a break from them.

Started reshaping the yard again . .now that the garlic has been harvested.   Digging a path by the raspberry bushes …. the yard directs me and I follow, shovel in hand.   Kind of fun and surprising.

Then I planted a few squash plants .. ready to grow up a meshed area.   EM’s like crazy.

Really enjoyed the peace and quiet of the yard today … playing music that I purchased last year when I visited the Sequim Lavender Faire …if I go this year, I’ll buy a few more dvds.

When I was returning from my trip to the supermarket, to purchase the cherry pitter .. I saw the most amazing car I have ever seen in my life!!

It was across the road, waiting to turn right and I quickly took out my handy camera and clicked away .. as the light changed to green, suddenly the road was filled with traffic and I wasn’t able to get a pic. So, the lovely driver, waited, after the light had changed .. and remained in place while I clicked a few pictures!  Thank you!!!

So, here is the car in all of its majestic classic shiny black beautifulness .. and .. if anyone is able to identify this luxurious motor vehicle for me .. well, thank you in advance and I’ll post the name with the picture.

And I owe this lovely surprise to my decision to buy the cherry pitter.   If not for that, I would have missed this amazing spectacle.

So .. remember .. acting on a whim results in lovely surprises!

Enjoy your weekend ..

🙂


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Wednesday was quite the garlic-y day for me .. and guess what, I’ve finally dug some up

Thursday, July 5, 2012

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We are finally enjoying hot summer weather and it’s wonderful for the garden and the humans also!

Yesterday I heeded the information that the garlic is ready to harvest when the bottom leaves turn yellow.  Although I’ve also read that one should wait till the crowns have wilted.  Anyway, I was so excited about digging up some of the garlic that I just started digging away.

The garlic was well rooted, what with the composted soil, the addition of lots of seaweed plus liberal doses of EM …. plus the recent rains had made it a bit more challenging to lift the garlic.

Nonetheless, I did harvest quite a number.  As I was cleaning off the bulb and then trimming the roots neatly, I had a thought.  What if the roots are meant to be left on?

So, into the house and I started searching for information on garlic.  Found several sites.  But .. the best site, bar none, was this one, and located in British Columbia!  Boundary Garlic Farm.  http://www.garlicfarm.ca/about-us.htm

And here I learned to keep the leafy section and the roots attached to the bulb, so that they would add more energy and growth to the bulb.   And not to worry about the dirt around the roots, these can be gently removed later when they are dry.

Besides recipes and many, many growing tips and information on how to choose which garlic would be suitable for various climates .. I learned that I can slice the cloves of garlic in a food processor and then dehydrate them.   I’ll try that .. drying them in the oven.  Then, the dried slices can be kept either in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag in the freezer.  Later, they can be ground to a powder.

Lots of helpful information on this site.

I did find a site that mentioned that the garlic roots are a delicacy .. but can’t try that out, as the root cuttings from yesterday are scattered, drying, in the garlic bed.  Murphy!

Well, I decided to let the rest of the garlic just stay nice and cozy in their bed until the leaves are more yellow.   This will give the soil time to dry out a bit, making it easier for me to harvest them.

I’m sure going to need a lot of space to dry these giants … and luckily, my friend D gave me a wonderful netting that will be perfect for drying.  I’ll take a picture tomorrow!

I am very impressed with the size of the garlic, it’s mostly hardneck (I’d bought 4 types from Richter’s a few years ago) and they are the size of elephant garlic.   I had bought several cloves of elephant, but wasn’t very successful with those.

Other things I learned while searching for information in the world of garlic .. were that the seeds of garlic can be sown .. they will grow into various shapes over the following 3 years, resulting in large bulbs.

And that the “rounds” can be harvested …. dried .. and then planted again and the result will be larger bulbs.

And that those tiny little round chickpea-like growths that are on the hardnecks can be planted again.  So I’ve soaked quite a number of them in concentrated EM and put them in a container for rooting.  At which time I’ll plant.

Also, some “rounds” might result from bulbs not receiving a month of 10 degrees of coldness in the fall.

And that you can speed up the rooting of garlic cloves, if time is tight in the fall, by putting them in containers, filled with compost, in the kitchen, until the roots form … which they will do, quickly . .and then plant them out.

Yesterday was quite a garlic-y one for me.

Yum.  Yum.  Yum.


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A fresh batch of garlic scape pesto all mixed up! Enjoying time spent in the garden.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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And so the winds continued yesterday.  Sun came out .. .went for a break, then decided to shine for a while.   Glad to have you back, transforming the yard!

I’ve started taking a teaspoon of the EM concentrate every day .. as it seemed to have been very effective in warding off a recent ailment that was bothering me.   Yea again to the magic of EM.   I’d listened to someone who shared that she has taken a spoon daily for a few years and has managed to avoid catching strong colds that were affecting her friends.  Those kinds of colds that really knock you off your feet.  So I’ve heeded her story and have begun with the daily EM.  It tastes quite sharp and not bad at all.

Decided it was time to mix up a batch of garlic scape pesto… so quickly chopped, put in the blender, added olive oil, finely shredded parmesan and almond slices (slightly browned in a small cast iron pan).  Loosely guided by a recipe found on the ‘net .. I soon had a delicious mix prepared.  Garlicy .. delicious.

Next, I placed a small amount in wax paper and into the freezer, to firm up a bit.  Later, I placed sections in a small square of w/paper, formed into a small circular shape, and piled them in glass containers for the freezer.  Now, I’m all set to use a bit in the next recipe.

And speaking of which, I found a great blog with a variety of pesto recipes and one in particular for pesto broccoli quinoa .. I’ll reblog that one!

Yesterday I was getting back in my stride … feeling so much better.  Spent hours outside … finally potting up those herb seeds from a gift years ago.  Funny, the seed packets note to “use the seeds before 2006” … ha ha, I scoff, as I soak the contents of each packet in a diluted EM solution.  We’ll see, my pretties!

Don’t know what I’ll do if all the seeds sprout, though!  There are: coriander, thyme, parsley,  basil and some spinach.   Bumper crop.  Then I found some lovely squash seeds and my wonderful luffa.  I’ll just try a few of the luffa seeds .. to see if I can actually grow some.  Fingers crossed.

Then I spent some time unpotting some Scotch moss, separated some of the plants into two sections, soaked them in diluted EM and placed them at the side garden, in front of the boxwood.  This area is starting to look great.  And I scattered hundreds of Calendula seeds in this area.  These flowers grow like weeds.  Lovely yellow and orange coloured petals.  Then I can collect the petals for future use.   Ah, at times it seems as if I’m regressing .. I used to do this years ago.

I plan to get back into soap making .. on a small-scale, just for the fun of it.  I’ll not use tallow this time .. will focus on the cocoanut base and other plant-based materials.  And I do not plan to go into business this time … so will just enjoy the pleasure of creating a small variety of soaps for friends and myself.

Watched the baby sparrows learning from their parents, how to feed at the bird feeders.   I can hear their tiny chirps high above in the trees.  They sound cute.  Still looking forward to seeing the little woodpeckers, chickadees and other birds.

Funny how time just disappears in the garden.  Such an enjoyable place to be.  And I’m very slowly decluttering ..   planting the cuttings started last year.   Collecting all unused plant pots.   I’m really making headway .. and  … enjoying the journey!

🙂


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More on garlic and the powers of EM

Monday, June 18, 2012

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So, the winds arrived on Sunday .. well, they were really a continuation from the past few days.  They really dry out the soil so I had my little garden sprinkler on in several places, in particular in the garlic patch.

Still gathering some garlic scapes.  Funny, some of them are so small, they are easy to miss.  I’ve read that only hardneck has scapes, but I’m also finding them on the soft neck also.

I’d purchased 4 types of garlic from Richter’s a few years ago… had started off with a lovely sign for each type, or so I’d thought.  Quite cute, I thought, writing the name of the garlic on a large shell, using permanent black felt marker.   Until the weathering from the rain and the winters caused the letters to fade.  I was then left with quite a quantity of garlic and used to guess which bulbs they were.

Well, the Kazakhstan, Music and a few others were just mixed in together.  Now I realized that I am not the world’s best organizer in the world of plants and that just suits me fine.  Gotta live with what’s there, right?  I’ll leave it to other gardeners to neatly label, sort and plant nice orderly gardens.  That just doesn’t work with me.

And this just adds to the zany colourful and magical world of gardening.

I’d also purchased a few Elephant garlic cloves from a market stall and planted these alongside the fence at the side of the yard.  Last year I was rewarded with several baseball sized single cloves.  These were just delicious . .mild and flavourful.

What I would love is a large field so I could plant more garlic .. am I obsessed?  That’s ok if I am .. not a bad obsession, I think.  Our next place will definitely have more space for gardening.  I’m using this year to show my sweetie that I really can be tidier and organized (in my own way, though!) and am getting to be more successful in growing fruits and veggies.

This success, though, is mainly due to that most wonderful EM .. with the addition of seaweed.  And also some spent hops which I collect from time to time.  Adding to the lovely garden beds.  And the best compost of my life .. now that I’m more aware of the correct procedures of composting.  Information learned in the OMG course, Gaia College.  Changed my life forever in the way that I garden.

So, anyway, yesterday .. I’d been hit, out of the blue, by some kind of bug that must have been picked up when we went out for supper a few nights ago.  So I fought it as best I could.  Taking a spoonful of concentrated EM … feeling the improvement.  Lots of water with lemon.   Tried to work outside, but no energy .. oh, I dislike being ill, yes I do.

Still, I dressed up for gardening, not keeping a good woman out of her garden!  Topped up the bird feeders … they were empty, whether due to the winds shaking the contents about or perhaps a heavy influx of birds, who knows!

Wandered back to the latest gardening area.   Planning to fill in some areas with spoiled hay, seaweed gathered last week.  Mix in some soil.  Plant some squash and some basil.  Lovely.

And I have this great little herb seed gift pack from years ago to plant up.  The kit contains some great little labels, printed on think copper sign posts.  They will look great.

Played with my new lawnmower .. so happy to have a push mower again!  Two-fold activity .. burn a few calories and cut the grass without pollution and noise .. hmm .. that’s three-fold!

Gathered a few more roses for drying.  Abundant blooms this year.  Can you say “EM”?

Wandered around the garlic plants .. those scapes keep growing, even when picked.  And today, I’ll make up another batch of garlic scape pesto, adding lots of garlic gathered from last years crop.  This is green-gold!!

Another great day.  And today .. energized, time to go outside and play some more.

🙂


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Friday arrives and with it ….besides some shopping . .I’ve been playing with the garlic in the garden, yum, yum

Friday, June 1, 2012

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So .. the end of the week has arrived, so quickly.  Many things to do  .. errands … before I can allow myself to play in the garden.

Out and about, recycling all set out … shopping .. it’s been awhile since I’ve just randomly gone out shopping for this and that .. from a list.   And I re-discovered that it was a lot of fun.  Spoke with a variety of people.  Enjoyed the positive energy of some very helpful sales clerks in some stores.

Some people just bring a shine to your day and that is what I found today!  Positive attitudes and so very helpful .. so many of us start off that way and along the way, the lustre just disappears.  For whatever reason.  I’ve worked hard to keep mine polished, though!  Just feels so much better to me.

London Drugs at McKenzie & Quadra was a good example.  I was looking for a pressure cooker on sale and the lovely cashier searched and found the one & verified the cost against the flyer.  Now, how many employees would even take the time to do that?

And then, Home Depot at Colwood .. another bright energized young lady was ever so helpful when I was looking for, first .. plant pot saucers .. and then, when I was looking for some unusual vegetable plants, well, she led me to the section with Bok choy .. and chose a lovely 6-pack of this vegetable.   As I spoke to the cashier, I discovered that the energized person had just started work there this week.   Keep that positivity going …..

So, finally, at home.   Eventually, to the garden.

Moved all the potted up garlic starts over to the “garlic bed” .. and began to plant them.    Then, when I’d planted  .. maybe .. 30 or so .. I looked again at the garlic bulbs planted up in tubs and thought .. well, the root systems are so intermingled .. why don’t I just leave them bo .. for the summer .. and so I did that.

I must admit that I’ve become quite enamored of garlic.  All that magic power from a simple bulb, culminating in a vigorous growth of strong green stems and finally a lovely fat garlic bulb!   And … ta da .. yesterday I clipped some garlic scapes .. . omg .. so delicious and so garlicy.

Tonight I made some garlic scape pesto (many recipes online) and then mixed up some almond kale chips, adding lots of garlic and the scapes.

I found out that the hardneck garlic grows scapes and so I’ll leave the rest of the scapes to grow into longer lengths.  Then I’ll clip them and will either make pesto or perhaps I’ll just freeze them to make into various recipes later on.

As usual, I’ve walked around the yard, taking photos of the developing flowers .. enjoying the changing conditions of the yard.  So much beauty.

Tomorrow I’ll share my latest plants and also how I’ve reshaped a little section of the yard, using boards, bricks, hay, Alpaca manure, compost and all the lovely things one can add to a garden.

It’s been a fun day!